I am afraid I need to share with you the disappointing news that we are compelled to cancel the camps again this year.
We are devastated to be taking this step for the second year in a row. As you know, I have delayed a decision as long as possible in the hope of finding a workable solution. In the end, however, even though there is due to be a relaxation of some of the Covid restrictions on 19 July, after various discussions with the venue and the governing agency, it became clear that the requirements and expectations remaining in place would simply not be acceptable.
I thank you greatly for the patience you have all shown in waiting for the final decision. I know it will come as a great disappointment – it is because I have seen for myself the desire and enthusiasm for these camps among the children that I have put off reaching this conclusion. I realise as a consequence that many of you will have disruption to travel and accommodation plans, which I do regret, but I hope you will understand that none of this has been done lightly.
May I also take this opportunity to thank our seminarians and volunteers who have given up much time and energy preparing for these camps. Please God we will see the fruit of it next year!
In the meantime, be assured of my prayers – I pray in a special way for the young people so cruelly affected by this situation.
We are delighted to announce that Regina Caeli Academy
USA and UK have formally approved the start of Regina Caeli Academy (RCA)
Warrington this September. This good news comes after months of diligent
preparation.
Although Regina Caeli Academy is a separate entity from
the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, our Fraternity is actively committed to
providing good Catholic education in various countries. Furthermore in
Warrington, the building which we bought next door to our church, Priory Court,
used to be a school run by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion, the female
branch of Bl. Dominic Barberi’s Passionists, whose foundress Elizabeth Prout
was made Venerable by Pope Francis. Therefore, RCA Warrington can rely on the
full support of our Fraternity. We are very glad that good Catholic education
will be offered again at St Mary’s Shrine.
RCA Warrington is still able to accept registrations for
children in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2 (UK Reception to
Year 3) for this September. Please do spread the word and encourage any other
parents who may be interested to contact Regina Caeli Academy Warrington: theacademystmarys@gmail.com.
Two of our parishioners at St Mary’s Shrine were selected
as teaching staff and have received specialised training with RCA USA.
They look forward to teaching the children and supporting the parents.
If you would
like to support educational initiatives at St. Mary’s Warrington, please
contact theacademystmarys@gmail.com.
Venerable
Elizabeth Prout – pray for us!
Regina Caeli – ora pro nobis!
Fr Armand de
Malleray, FSSP, Rector of St Mary’s Shrine
Thank you for patiently waiting further news on our summer camps this August. At this point in time, things are sadly still very unclear. However, we have been reliably informed that even if the government proceeds with the (delayed) roadmap, there will most probably still be restrictions that apply to residential youth camps. Until we know precisely what these are, it is impossible to have sufficient clarity as to whether we can go ahead.
Please note, this is not only a matter for the FSSP, but also Savio House where the camps are held, and the National Youth Agency, whose regulations the camps also need to abide by.
Therefore, it is our intention to wait until the review for the current extension of restrictions is announced – this may be by 5 July, but perhaps more realistically around 12 July to have a clearer idea of the details. Naturally, if the ongoing uncertainty is difficult, it is no problem if you wish to withdraw your booking.
As things stand, one thing that looks almost certain is that our numbers will be restricted to 30 (we can normally have 40). As a result, I must now announce that we are fully booked for both camps. If you still wish to send in booking forms, you can do so, and we will put your children on a reserve list in case of cancellations.
All of us in Britain & Ireland, and abroad, assure you both of our prayer for you on this your fourth anniversary of ordination. We recall with emotion this wondrous event, when you became priests of the Lord. The fact that it was occurring in the traditional way for the first time in 50 years was an added grace for all Catholics in these Isles. We thank you for your ministry and priestly witness over the past four years.
Cost: $18.95 USD = £13.43 GBP. Check with your local FSSP UK & Ireland parish for discounted bulk order.
“Can priests miss Mass? This little book light-heartedly depicts ten Holy Masses nearly missed by priests due to some opposition. From Kilimanjaro to Loch Ness, from Burma to Paris and more, the ten humorous short stories describe obstacles to the celebration of Holy Mass, thankfully overcome. The ten priests persevered, spurred by the conviction that Holy Mass: 1) honours God, whose extrinsic glory increases each time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered; 2) helps souls through the temporal application of Christ’s saving merits that Holy Mass brings about; 3) fortifies priests, whose ontological raison d’être is to offer the divine Victim on the altar. Leaving aside theological arguments, Near Missed Masses entertainingly illustrates these truths through fiction.”
Praise for Near Missed Masses
In the real world, which is the world that God made, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the power station feeding the life of grace. Without such grace, we die. In this volume of true stories, Fr Armand de Malleray shows us the life-giving power of the Mass in a world darkened with devildom. The light-hearted and humorous tone of the stories makes them easily readable without ignoring the gravity of the topic. — Joseph Pearce, author of biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis, and G. K. Chesterton
The unusual theme that unites a good number of the stories in this compendium is a scenario with which many a freshly-ordained priest will soon become familiar—the battle royal that often ensues in the attempt to secure an altar at which the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass may be offered in an atmosphere of recollection and decorum. With tact and good humour, Father de Malleray explores the intra-ecclesial prejudices and neuroses which have given rise to such a state of affairs, and illustrates how perseverance, charity and prayer are the most effective weapons we possess against suspicion and bigotry. An edifying read for both priests and laity, which we should pray will contribute to the healing of self-inflicted wounds which for too long have hampered the Church’s mission of evangelisation. — Fr Julian Large, Provost of the London Oratory
The stories in this collection give us precious evidence of the hidden persistence of the grace of the true priestly vocation in unexpected situations. The ten narratives portray priestly candidates and priests of various ages and cultures. All reveal that secret dialogue in the soul that takes place when grace is at work. Based on my experience in teaching Thomistic philosophy to seminarians for a decade and catechesis to seminarians and priests as well as lay people, I cannot recommend this book highly enough for young Catholic men and for all those who nurture vocations, or who could, but who are not sufficiently alert to the quiet presence of the Holy Spirit in many young souls. — Dr Caroline Farey, Annunciation Catechesis
In Near Missed Masses, Fr de Malleray finds a delightfully playful and imaginative way to reinvent true contemporary stories and drive home a serious point: the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the zeal that we should have to celebrate (as priests) or attend (as layfaithful) this Sacrifice worthily and frequently. In this way, the book functions like the proverbial storeroom containing things both new and old! — Fr Henry Whisenant, Diocese of East Anglia (England)
Mexico will witness its first Traditional Ordination in decades as Rev. Mr. Joel Pinto Rodriguez, FSSP is ordained to the priesthood by His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke.
The ceremony will take place at the Sanctuary of the Martyrs in Guadalajara, Mexico on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 11th, 2021, at 5PM CST.
The ordination is open to the public and free of charge.
Also, the ceremony will be broadcast on LiveMass and Facebook.
The ordination will also be part of a larger event, the Third Congress of Summorum Pontificum, featuring H.E. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Fr. Javier Olivera Ravasi, Dr. John Pepino, Matt Fradd, Gregory DiPippo, and more, including the Very Rev. P. Andrzej Komorowski, FSSP Superior General, and Fr. Jonathan Romanowski, FSSP. Virtual tickets to view the conference online can be purchased here.
Note that space at the ordination is limited, and seats are reserved for those attending the conference, after which they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
A reflection on the Feast of St. George for the Juventutem London youths, by Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP. “St George, Patron of England. Why countries need patron saints: the idea of a motherland. How to distinguish patriotism and nationalism; civic loyalty and insularism. As the world becomes a global village, have national history, culture and customs become irrelevant?”
Thank you for spreading the word today. Launching Regina Caeli Hybrid Academy in Warrington will help children get a better Catholic education.
By Regina Caeli Academy UK
In 2019, a few families in Bedfordshire took the initiative to bring a successful U.S. model of Classical Catholic education to the U.K. and founded Regina Caeli Academy UK, with pastoral support from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. In its second year, the number of families using the Academy has already doubled, with more families joining and moving to the area this year in anticipation of September 2021. Full details about Regina Caeli Academy, including an introductory video, fees, timetables and curriculum, are available at www.rcahybrid.org.uk.
Given the growing community in Warrington, and answering demand from local parents, we would very much like to start a centre at St Mary’s Warrington, with God’s help, from September 2021. The Academy offers a full Classical Curriculum, completely grounded on the magisterium of the Catholic Church, and a community of Catholic families. Trained, paid teachers provide two days per week of on-site tuition. For the other days of the week, comprehensive study plans are provided for parents to follow with their children. Parents benefit from structure, accountability and community, and their children gain Catholic friends for life.
Over the past 18 years, thousands of children have been educated with this curriculum in the U.S., so parents can be confident that it is a tried and tested system of Catholic education which results in robust qualifications, a lifelong love of learning and, most importantly, a deep-rooted faith.
If you are a parent who is interested in the Warrington RCA for your own children, please email Michael and Aileen Seymour, the Warrington coordinators of Regina Caeli Academy: TheAcademyStMarys@gmail.com giving your contact details and your children’s ages/current school years. Alternatively, if you would like to apply for the Warrington RCA, please fill out the application form at: https://www.rcahybrid.org.uk/application-form.
If you are a teacher who wants to work in such a Catholic environment, or have administrative skills that could help shape the Academy, please also contact us as above. We don’t need financial assistance to start up, but you could certainly also help us with prayer, in particular to the now Venerable Mother Elizabeth Prout, foundress of the female branch of the Passionists who used to run St Mary’s School in Warrington. Any financial support will be gratefully received by Regina Caeli Academy: please contact in advance Regina Caeli Academy UK: https://www.rcahybrid.org.uk/contact (please note that the FSSP does not presently collect donations in connection with this project).
To allow us to plan the expected opening, we need to know by 1st May 2021 how many children will start with us in September.
Please be sure to contact us long before that deadline. Lastly, please share this information far and wide now. Thank you on behalf of many children – and their parents!
